Ice-cycle.



. A y l No. 639,672. k Patented nec. |9, |399.

G. J. DIETRICH, J. HUFNAGEL a. .1. woLF.

IC E C Y C L E (Application led Oct. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

TH: Nonms PETERS co., PHOTO-ums.. WASHINGTON. o, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

GEORGE J. DIETRICH, JOHN HUFNAGEL, .AND `JOHN VOLF, OF BUFFALO,

NEW YORK.

ICE-CYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 639,672, dated Eecennber 19, 1899.

Application filed Uetoher 4, 1899. Serial No. 732,477. (No model.)

To 1f/ZZ whom if may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE J. DIETRICH, JOHN HUENAGEL, and JOHN WOLF, citizens of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Cycles7 of which the following is a speciication.

' Our invention relates to an improved cycle adapted to travel on ice; and the object of the invention is to provide a device that can be easily attached to the ordinary modern bicycle in lieu of the front and rear wheels and the front fork, thus converting it into a cycle capable of traveling 'on ice.

It also relates to certain details of construction, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our improved ice-cycle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of one of the supplementary frames and a portion of its supporting-shaft, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through one of the rear runners and a portion of its support. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached View of the plate for closing the lower end of the detachable tube portion. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detached side elevation of one of the T-plates.

In referring to the drawings in detail like numerals designate like parts.

In the preferred adaptation of our invention shown in the drawings it is illustrated as constructed in accordance with the ordinary modern safety-bicycle, in which 1 designates the head-tube of the frame, 2 lthe top horizontal bar, 3 the lower front bar,4 the seatpost bar, 5 the handle-bars, 6 theseat or saddle supporting post, 7 the saddle, 8the crankhanger7 9 the front sprocket, and 10 the chain, all of which are of the usual and well-known construction.

The upper rear diagonal stay-bars 1l extend rearwardly and downwardly from the upper portionof the seat-post bar 4 and connect at their lower ond to the rear ends of the lower horizontal stay-bars 12, the forward ends of which extend into connection with the crankhanger. y

The rear wheel 13 is provided with peripheral spurs 14 and is journaled upon a shaft 15, which is so supported as to haveavertical movement under spring tension. The preferable form for so supporting the shaft 15 is shown in the drawings, in which plates 16, of metal, formed substantially like the letter T, are each provided with a longitudinal slot 18 in its head portion, the stein being arranged horizontally wth the rear extremes of the lower horizontal stay-bars 12 and adjustably secured thereto by set-screws 19 and 20, which pass through the slot 18 and openings in the ends of the bars 1 2. Two of these plates are employed, one on each side, and intermediate portions 21 of the shaft 15 are formed substantially square in cross-section and are supported in the vertical slots 18 in the head portions of the plates. Each plate is provided with upper and lower outwardlyprojecting horizontal portions 22 and 23, and two spiral springs 24 and 25 are respectively arranged between the upper portion 22 and `vthe upper surface of the shaft and the lower portion 23, and the lower surface of the shaft being held in place by the extensions 26 and 27, which project, respectively, upwardly and downwardly from the upper and lower surfaces of the shaft, and adjustable extensions which project, respectively, upwardly and downwardly1 from the lower and upper horizontal portions 22 and 23. These adjustable extensions are arranged to provide means for adjusting the tension of the spiral springs 24 and 25, and each consists of an inner part arranged upon the inner surface of either of the portions 22 and 3, with its stern 28 eX- tending into the end of the spring-coil and its enlarged head 29 pressing against the extreme end of said coil, and an outer screw 30, which passes through a screw-threaded opening in the adjacent portions 22 and 23 and has its end firmly screwed a short distance into a screw-threaded opening in the outer surface of the enlarged head 29 to attach the two parts of the extensions together.

To adjust the tension of the spiral springs, the screws 30 are screwed up or down in the screw-threaded openings in the horizontal portions. A set of these springs and their tensioning and supporting devices are em- IOO ployed on each side of the shaft, and the outer end 3l of the shaft on each side is circular in formation and screw-threaded to receive the screw-threaded upper end of a supplementary frame.

Two of the supplementary frames are employed, one to support each rear runner, and they are arranged one on each side of the rear wheel. These supplementary frames are each composed of a main bar 32 of angular formation, the upper end of which is Screwed upon one of the screw-threaded ends of the shaft and extends outwardly therefrom in a horizontal direction for a short distance and then bends downwardly to form the portion 34, in the lower end of which a spiral spring 35 is supported, a brace-bar 36, which extends diagonally and connects the substantially horizontal and vertical portions of the main bar, and a brace-bar 37, which extends from the lower portion of the main bar 32 and diagonally inward and upward to the nearest horizontal stay-bar, to which it is clamped b y the clamp 38.

The rear runners or shoes 39 are formed substan tially as shown and are each provided with a standard 40, which extends into the lower end of the port-ion 34 and is supported against the lower part of the spring 35, as will be more specifically explained farther on.

Instead of the usual iron fork a single stem 4l is employed, to the lower end of which the front runner 42 is attached, preferably by a pivotal bolt 43 to permit a slight oscillating movement to the runner when passing over the frozen surface to provide for any inequality therein. An extension 44 projects rearwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the stem and forms a stop to limit the upward movement of the rear portion of the runner, and thus prevent said runner from turning entirely over in that direction from any cause.

In the preferred construction of the mechanism employed in securing the rear runners' to the lower end of theirsupplementary supporting-frames they are preferably provided with extensions or ears 45, to which a lower end of the standard or rod 40 is pivoted by a pivotal pin 47. The rod 40, with the exception of its upper end 43, which is of circular formation and screw-threaded, is formed of a square or other out-of-round shape in cross-section. The lower end of the portion 34 is interiorly screwthreaded, and a tube or barrel 49, having its upper end closed and of slightly-smaller diameter, is peripherally screw-threaded and is adapted to screw int-o said lower end. A spiral spring 35 is mounted within said tube 49, being held in place by a circular plate 50, which is screwed upon theupper-end 48 of the rod 40 and is longitudinally movable within the tube 49. A plate 5l is screwed or otherwise detachably secured in the lower end of the tube 49 to prevent the removal of the plate 50 or the spring 35 and is provided with an Aopening of substantially the same outline as the larger portion of the rod 40, through which said rod passes and which prevents the turning of the runner sidewise. y

The runners are adjusted vertically by screwing the tube 49 into or out of the lower end of the portion 34 and are easily removed from the supplementary frames by unscrewing the tubes.

To unrotatably hold or lock the tube 49 in the lower end of the portion 34, a band 52 is placed around the portion 34 and is drawn tightly around the same to reduce the circumference by the bolt An extension 54 is extended rearwardly anddownwardly from the lower end of each rod 40, and by striking against the rear portions ofthe runners limits their upward movement. i

The chain is adjusted by adjusting the T- plates 1G along the rear ends of the bars 12.

The dismounting and assembling of the invention will be readily understood by reference to the foregoing description and drawings.

VVe claim as our invention-- l. An ice-cycle comprising a frame, a fron steering-runner having a stem mounted in said frame, T-shaped plates arranged one on each side of the rear portion of the frame and each having its stem adjustably fastened to said frame and its vertical head portion provided with a longitudinal slot, a rear shaft having its ends passing through the longitudinal slots, a peripherally-spurred rear wheel journaled on said shaft, supplementary frames .arranged on each side of said rear wheel and each having its upper end detach-` ably secured to one of the ends of the shaft and runners supported by said supplementary frames, as set forth.

2. An ice-cycle comprising a frame, a front steering-runner having a stem mounted in said frame, a shaft mounted in the rear portion of said frame, a peripherally -spurred rear wheel journaled on said shaft, and sup plementary frames arranged on each side of said rear wheel and each having its upper end detachably secured to one of the ends of the shaft and runners adj ustabl y secured to said supplementary frame, as set forth.

3. An ice-cycle comprisinga frame, a front steering-runner having a stem mounted in said frame, a shaft mounted in the rear portion of said frame, a peripherally-spurred rear wheel journaled on said shaft, and supplementar'y frames arranged on each side of said rear wheel and each having its upper end detachably secured to one of the ends of the shaft and runners adjustably and detachably secured to said supplement-ary frames, as set forth.

4. An ice-cycle comprising a frame, a front steering-runner having a stem mounted in said frame, a shaft mounted in the rear portion of said frame, a peripherally-spurred rear wheel journaled on said shaft, and supplementary frames arranged on each side of ICO IIO

IZO

said rear wheel and each having its upper end detachably secured to one of the ends of the shaft and runners secured to said supplementary frames and having vertical movement, and springs having connection with said fralnes, as set forth. 4

5. An ice-cycle comprising a frame, a front steering-runner having a stem mounted in said frame, T-shaped plates arranged one on each side of the rear portion of the frame and each having its stem adjustably fastened to said frame and its vertical head portion provided with a longitudinal slot, and having upper and lower horizontal extensions projeoting outward from the upper and lower ends of the head, a rear shaft having its ends passing through the longitudinal slots,springs interposed between the shaft and the upper and lower horizontal extensions, means for adjusting the tension of said springs, a peripherally-spurred rear wheel journaled on said shaft, supplementary frames arranged on eaeh side of said rear wheel and eaeh having its upper end detaehably secured to one of the ends of shaft and runners supported by said supplementary frames, as set forth.

6. An ice-cycle Comprising a frame, a front steering-runner having a stem mounted in said frame, T-shaped plates arranged one on each side of the rear portion of the frame and each having its stem adjustably fastened to said frame, and its vertical head portion provided with a longitudinal slot, and having upper and lower horizontal extensions projeeting outwardly from the upper and lower end of thehead, screw-bolts mounted in the upper and lower extensions, a rear shaft having its ends passing through the longitudinal slot, upper and lower springs mounted between the screw-bolts and the shaft-surface, a peripherally-spurred rear wheel journaled on said shaft,supplementary frames arranged on each side of said rear wheel and each having its upper end detachably secured to one of the ends of the shaft and runners supported by said supplementary frames, as set forth.

GEORGE J. DIETRICH. JOHN HUFNAGEL. JOHN WOLF.

Witnesses:

EUGENE J. Ivns, L. M. BILLINGS. 

